DBH: A Devious Halloween
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: It's Halloween night and Connor becomes intrigued by the prospect of checking out a supposedly haunted house directly from Officer Tina Chen's past. Indulging the young officer and accompanying her out to the haunted location Connor learns more about the past, more about holiday and experiences some things he can't quite explain...


**October 30th, 2039:**

The bullpen was covered in a few fake cobwebs, plastic spiders and a handful of plastic bats over the corners of a few desks, all over the breakroom and against the transparent walls of Captain Fowler's office as All Hallows Eve crept upon the city. While Hank was more than happy to let the holiday passed by without a second thought Connor found himself curious about the traditions and purpose of the human holiday with a keen interest.

"I understand the need to decorate as a means of providing a more festive energy for the holidays," Connor stated in a low voice as he sat across from Hank and peered around his terminal screen toward his partner's face. "but I do not understand the concept of one dressing up and passing out treats to strangers."

"Well, for kids it's all fun and games." Hank explained casually as his finished off his coffee and placed his now empty mug on the desk beside his keyboard. "As for adults... _young adults_, it's an excuse to let loose and party."

"Why 'young adults'?"

"Because their tolerance level for alcohol is still high, and they can function on less sleep far better than us older adults."

"Oh. What type of party is a 'Halloween party', anyway?"

"There's a couple different ones, it all depends on who's throwing the party."

"...Such as?"

"Well, there's the traditional costume party where everyone just dresses up and hangs out. Then there's the more risque parties where people drink a lot, maybe experiment with drugs and... uh, sex." Deciding it'd be best to change the subject away from the true meaning of 'Adult Halloween' Hank brought up the more traditional Halloween activities instead. "Then there are the people who like to watch horror movies all night long, read or tell scary stories, go to supposedly haunted locations and some even try to talk to ghosts."

"Oh. That seems... unusual."

"Yup. That's why people typically only do it once a year on Halloween, not everyday."

"I see." Curious now about Hank's own traditions with the holidays Connor asked accordingly and kept his voice low as to not draw any unwanted third party opinions on the matter. "How do you celebrate Halloween?"

"I don't."

"No?"

"Nope."

"...May I ask why?"

Sighing a little Hank leaned back in his chair and his shoulders slumped with sorrow. "I haven't celebrated Halloween since Cole... you know."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Hank. I should've known."

"It's alright, kid. I still pass out candy on Halloween night, but I don't decorate the house like I used to do, or carve pumpkins. Cole loved Halloween and it's just not the same without him."

"I can understand that." Eyeing Hank's empty coffee mug Connor picked it up and rose from his chair. "I'll get you some more coffee."

"Yeah, thanks."

Walking into the breakroom with the coffee mug in his hand Connor caught the tail-end of a strange conversation taking place between Tina and Gavin, and had little context to work with.

"For the last time, Tina, NO." Dumping out his cold coffee into the sink Gavin walked away and gave his partner a stern look. "I already have plans on Halloween, and it doesn't involve sneaking onto private property."

Tina let out an annoyed sigh as she put her hands to her hips and stared at the floor with disappointment. "What a wuss."

"Officer Chen?" Connor called her name as he poured fresh coffee into Hank's mug and put a controlled amount of sugar and sweetener into the mug to Hank's liking. "May I ask what that was about? You seem upset."

"I'm not upset, I'm just annoyed." She answered honestly as she took in a calming breath. "I was hoping to have at least one friend help me out tomorrow night, but as usual no one can be bothered."

"I have no plans tomorrow night, perhaps I can help."

"Uh, thanks Connor, but I don't think androids can really 'understand' why I want to do what I want to do."

"Can you elaborate for me? I may not have the same understanding as a human but I am curious and as Hank has told me in the past, 'open-minded' about new experiences."

"...Alright, you want to help me out?"

"Yes. You've stated you'd prefer company tomorrow evening regarding your plans, and I'd like to assist you."

"Okay then. Meet me at my apartment tomorrow evening at five. I'll explain everything then. Wear dark clothes, and a hat to keep your light hidden."

"Very well." Stirring the sweetened coffee with a metal spoon Connor agreed to the plans and exited the breakroom. "I'll see you tomorrow evening."

Returning to his desk Connor sat down and placed Hank's refilled mug down next to the senior detective's hand and resumed his work on his own terminal screen. As he began scanning over the most recently reported deviant cases Connor could feel Hank's eyes watching him, but he didn't say a word.

"What's with you and Tina?"

"Pardon?"

"I saw you two talking and she seemed kinda' pissed. What did I miss?"

"Oh, she wants some assistance with plans tomorrow evening. I volunteered."

"Oh, cool. So what's going on?"

"I do not know."

"You agreed to help out Tina without even knowing what she wants?"

"...Yes."

"Damn," picking up the coffee Hank took a sip and approved of the properly sweetened taste. "you're a trusting soul."

"I doubt Officer Chen has any malicious in mind."

"On Halloween?" Flashing Connor a somewhat sly grin Hank put aside his mug and continued to work on his own report. "I wouldn't be so sure..."

* * *

**October 31st, 2039:**

Arriving at Tina's apartment at exactly five o'clock in the evening via autonomous taxi Connor knocked on her door twice and waited for the officer to open her door. Glancing about the corridor of the apartment Connor saw numerous doors had Halloween decorations taped over the front, a few had small lights glowing on the door to let trick-or-treats know that they had candy share.

Tina opened the door calmly with a large bowl of candy in her hands, and stepped out of her apartment to meet Connor in the hallway. She eyed Connor's clothing an approved of the black t-shirt, the dark colored jeans, black leather jacket and black beanie over his head that covered his otherwise bright glowing light. "Good work."

Connor noted that Tina was wearing a pair of black jeans, a black blouse and had her short hair pulled back in a small ponytail and out of her eyes. "It seems wearing dark colors this time of year is seen as fairly common."

"Oh yeah, but we're not going to vandalize houses or pulls pranks." Pulling her door shut behind her Tina placed the bowl of candy down on a small table inside the corridor beside her door, and used her electronic key card to lock her apartment. "We're just going to take a trip to an old house."

"...A house?"

"A _haunted_ house."

"Oh... Okay." The disbelief on Connor's face was as thick as the fake cobwebs taped on walls and doors of the surrounding apartments. "Might I ask what makes you think the house is haunted?"

"I don't _think_ it's haunted," Tina remarked with a firm stare in her eyes as she walked down the corridor and motioned for Connor to follow. "I _know_ it is."

"...May I ask how you know?"

"Once we're in the car I'll explain everything."

Connor's brow arched a little as he accompanied Tina to the elevator at the end of the corridor, and stood beside her as the duo descended from the fourth floor and down to the ground floor. "You seem very certain this supposed fact."

"Do androids believe in ghosts?"

"...I imagine that since many androids don't believe that we have souls that the concept of a spiritual afterlife is also just as implausible to accept."

"Trust me, Connor. You and the other androids have souls."

"That has yet to be seen, or proven."

"Anyway," the doors to the elevator parted and the two detectives stepped onto the ground floor lobby to head toward the front doors of the building. Tina's car was parked in her designated spot near the entrance due to her career as a first-responder, and as such she was given priority parking. "tonight on Halloween, the one night of the year where the border between the living and the dead is gone and spirits are able to roam free, I'm going to explore a haunted house and try to communicate with the spirits of the past."

"...That seems... extreme."

"Only if you're superstitious." Opening the driver's side door of her hybrid automatic/autonomous car Tina sat down behind the wheel and watched as Connor joined her from the passenger side door. "I'm not superstitious. But don't worry, I am respectful toward the dead and toward the still unknown spiritual and supernatural forces that are always around us."

"Where are we going?"

"There's an old, condemned house a few miles outside of the city that I've been wanting to explore for some time now." Backing out of her parking space Tina pulled onto the street and made her way toward the city's limits to get out to the property of interest. "I learned that this year the house is slated for demolition in the spring, and I don't want to miss my chance."

"And you wish to explore it on Halloween night due to the perceived chance that you'll be more likely to encounter something supernatural?"

"You got it."

"This seems like a very odd decision to make."

"Connor, we have about twenty minutes to kill before we get out to the house, so let me tell a little something about Halloween and humans..."

* * *

After being well versed in the nature and purpose of Halloween traditions Connor accompanied Tina to a large old farmhouse that had been left to rot after years of neglect and abandonment. The property that it sat on was impressively large and it seemed to be in an ideally quiet location, which of course made the house appear all the more intimidating as it stood out against the darkening night sky.

"This is the place." Tina needlessly confirmed as she and Connor began walking toward the house and pulled a small flashlight from her pocket. She walked up the creaking front porch for only a moment to peer inside the front windows between two rotting wooden boards, then quickly walked around the side of the house toward the backyard. "Come with me."

"You seem to be looking for something specific."

"Yeah, you're right."

Scanning over the property Connor noted a peaceful ambience that came with the isolation from the city, a gentle warm breeze blowing through the orange, and red leaves of the surrounding trees. Far in the distance Connor could see the orange glow of candles burning inside jack-o-lanterns on front porches, and candles glowing through windows of houses that were celebrating the holiday with friends and family.

"How did you find out about this place?" Following after Tina without the need of a flashlight Connor made an internal map of the property and easily navigated the somewhat overgrown lawn without tripping. "You seem very familiar with the terrain and layout."

"I've known about this place for most of my life. This is where I grew up."

"O-Oh... This is your childhood home."

"Yup. I haven't seen it since I was fourteen years old, but I haven't forgotten about it." Pointing to a seemingly open expanse of land past an old, rusted swing set Tina let her flashlight guide her steps. "My sister and I played on the swings all spring and summer long. The chains haven't snapped yet despite all the wear and tear we put on them."

"When did you move out of your house and into the city?"

"...After my father died from his heart attack."

"...I'm sorry. I didn't know about that, I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive topic."

"It's okay, it wasn't anything personal." Walking beyond the swing set with a heavy heart Tina approached the dense treeline that outlined the rear of the property and easily located a break in the flora just large enough to be stepped through. "It's back here."

"What is?"

"The haunted house."

"But I thought..." Glancing back at the house in the middle of the property Connor's brow arched again in confusion. "There is a second house on this property?"

"There was. There's only ruins and a foundation left at this point."

Connor's eyes briefly closed as he downloaded information on the property and found no record of a second house. "Why wasn't this house registered on the property's land deed?"

"Because no one knew it was back here until me and my sister found it after a little girl told us to check it out."

"You didn't tell your parents?"

"We did, but they didn't think it was worth reporting."

"Interesting."

"See that well?" Tina pointed out the heavily eroded well constructed of smooth gray and white stones. "That's why drew our attention out here. And just beyond it..." Stopping by the well Tina highlighted a large square foundation about two hundred yards away from where the well stood. "is the original house that sat on this property before my family's house was built."

"Curious. What do you know of this house?"

"Not much. It was built in the early 1700's, and burned down within ten years of its original construction." Staying beside the well while Connor joined her on the other side of the singular landmark Tina told him what she had learned about the enigmatic property when she was a teenager. "There are only a handful of documents on this area of the city and from what I found there was a time where any story of a more... spiritual nature, was immediately labeled taboo and never spoke of again."

"All the more curious."

"From what I've been able to piece together from the bits and scraps of information still available that foundation was an old house converted into a strange church. The leader of the church was a fallen pastor who recruited members of his former church into his little circle, and from there very horrible, unsanctioned acts were performed on the members. No one spoke out against the pastor out of fear of being labeled a harlot or a sinner, and no one paid any attention to the pastor's deeds until the area's chief of police reported his daughter as missing."

"A child went missing?"

"Her and at least sixteen others. Many of the women went missing, first." Peering down inside the black, cavernous well Tina's tone dropped to one of sorrow and empathy. "Rumors spread that the missing women were sinners corrupted by the devil who fled from their good husbands and homes, and in a small village that feared God and everything he stood for no one bothered to look into the rumors. That is... until the town noticed the children were going missing, too. When a horrible beaten and dying child stumbled into town seeking help she told the town doctor who hurt her and where she came from. It was too late to save her, but her dying words saved many lives as the town converged on the unofficial church just over there."

"What happened to the pastor?"

"The doors to the church were kicked in and the pastor was dragged outside. A search of the building found six of the missing women bound and beaten in the attic, and the bodies of four children in a bedroom. They had all been assaulted, branded with strange symbols and seemingly sacrificed in some bizarre ceremony just hours before the little girl escaped the church."

"...You're talking about a cult."

"Yeah. And no one cared until it was too late."

"The pastor didn't stand trial?"

"No. The town rescued the women and reclaimed the bodies of the murdered children, then burned that church to the ground. While the building burned they demanded that the pastor answer for his crimes and tell them where the other missing women and children were, but he didn't say anything. He just kept reciting some cryptic prayer over and over again until the townspeople decided that true justice in that town would only come from the pastor's death."

"Mob justice."

"How the pastor died was never confirmed. Some stories say he was hung from a tree that used to grow the property, and after they cut his body down they threw it into the still burning house and chopped down the tree. They the supposed used the tree as fuel to keep the fire burning and to destroy every trace of the pastor and his church. Another story says," Tina sounded unusually calm as she told the tale and leaned casually against the stone well. "the townspeople locked the pastor inside the church before they set it on fire and let him burn to death while completely conscious and aware of his fate. A third story says he was beaten to death by the mob and his body was buried in a shallow, unmarked grave behind the burned church. And a fourth story said he was burned alive in the church, but he didn't die. He was dragged from the church and he was thrown down here." She pointed at the well and took a wary step back. "In the well."

Connor's eyes went wide with intrigue as peered down inside the well and could see the dried up bottom despite the distance thanks to his superior vision.

"...The story goes on to say that the pastor didn't die after he was thrown in the well, and he slowly succumbed to a horrible infection and drowned after four horrible days of screaming in pain and begging for mercy."

"That's... horrible. No wonder your parents didn't want to have their home associated with such a horrible moment in history."

"Yeah. That's what I figured, too."

"What of the missing women and children?"

"They were never found. Ever since that dreaded night over three-hundred years ago hunters and hikers have found bits and pieces of human remains scattered throughout the neighboring forest, but no mass grave or a single complete body has ever been found."

"Tina," Connor continued to stare at the well and run a scan over the forgotten relic of the past. "you said a little girl told you and your sister about this place. How did she know about it?"

Tina sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she gave Connor a somber stare. "...That's why I know my childhood house is haunted."

"...Are you saying that the little girl you spoke to was a... ghost?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Describe her, please."

"Well, it was a long time ago but I think I can remember enough about her."

"Tell me."

"I was about ten and my sister was eight. The little girl who approached us was either eight or nine, petite little thing with blonde hair pulled up in neat little braided pigtails. She had dark blue eyes and very pale skin. She was wearing a simple black dress and had a black hat over her hair."

"A hat?"

"Yeah," Tina's eyes seem to narrow as a small shiver snaked down her spine. "it was old looking and reminded me of the hats that the pilgrims once wore."

"A 'capotain' hat."

"...I'll take your word for it."

"What else do you remember?"

"Nothing much. She just showed up in our backyard one day and asked us if we knew about the well. She pointed us in the right direction and that was the first and last time I ever saw her."

"Fascinating."

"You believe me?"

"You have no reason to lie." The simple answer was as honest as it was reassuring. "I've also been monitoring your vital signs and your demeanor shows no sign of deception or exaggeration."

"You're the first person I told about that day who actually believes me. Thanks."

"Gavin does not?"

"Gavin... I think he does and I think that's why he was so determined not to come out here. He... He has his own issues from his childhood to deal with, so coming out to a property where a bunch of innocent kids were killed is going to be almost impossible for him to handle."

"I think I understand."

"Come on." Pointing her flashlight back at the ground Tina walked away from the well and back to the house near the front of the property. "I want to see the house one last time before we leave."

Following after Tina in silence Connor noted the location of the well on his G.P.S. and noted every key detail of the property's layout. Accompanying Tina to the backdoor of the house he watched as the athletic officer scaled the metal storm drain on the corner of the house and climbed up onto the the shallow roof overlooking the back porch beneath a second floor window.

"Let's see..." After a few seconds of messing with the closed window Tina managed to slide it open with a loud, echoing 'squeak'. "Got it!"

Connor scaled the storm drain just as easily as Tina had done and joined her on the roof near the half-opened window. "I take it this window was always weak even when your family lived her."

"Yup. A nasty storm sent a tree branch through his window when I was five, and the replacement window never had a properly functioning lock." Pushing it all the way open with Connor's help Tina shined her light inside the house and down at the floor before she stepped inside. "I used to use this secret exit to sneak out at night and meet up with my friends down by the river."

"And do what?"

Tina gave Connor a sly smirk and waved him inside the house. "The rituals of a girl's slumber party is sacred, and human or android, no boys allowed!"

Brow arching again Connor just shrugged his shoulders a little as he crept through the window and joined Tina inside the dark house. It was cold, black and hollow. Even the sound of their breaths echoed over the barren walls and hallway as the two officers examined the condemned remains of Tina's old home.

"Down here in my old bedroom." Tina walked down the creaking hallway and toward the room at the end of the corridor. Pushing the door open Tina stepped inside and shined her light over the floor and the walls curiously. "...So many weird memories."

"Can I ask why this house is already so rundown?"

"It was a 'fixer-upper' when my parents bought it, LONG before either me or my sister had been born. They were slowly fixing it up one problem at a time but it was so old and in disrepair that every step they took just seemed to be a stall rather than actual progress."

"And after your father passed away your mother could no longer afford to live in a house that required such repairs while raising two daughters alone."

"Yup. That apartment was small in comparison to the house, but it was warm, dry and didn't have any ghost girls roaming around."

"...I thought you said you only saw that girl's spirit once."

"I did. That doesn't mean I didn't keep_ hearing_ her."

"O-Oh. That is... bizarre."

"Not as bizarre as hearing your kid sister whispering to someone you couldn't see at the three in the morning, or hearing footsteps following you everywhere you walked."

"Perhaps your sister had an imaginary friend, and you were just hearing your own footsteps echoing as you walked."

"Maybe. But can you explain a ghostly hand pulling my hair when I was in the shower, or someone pulling my blanket off of me while I slept?"

"...At this time, no, I cannot."

"I spent so many years trying to convince myself that there was nothing out of the ordinary here in this house, but... So much strange stuff happened that I couldn't explain and no one believed. I kept searching for answers but never really found anything beyond that horrible church in the backyard."

"Interesting. Is the need for answers what inspired you to become an investigator?"

"Maybe a little, but I just wanted to be able to protect my family now that my dad's gone."

Connor nodded with understanding as he stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway. As he glanced around the hallway he heard a door at the opposite end of the hallway creak open on its own. Walking toward the doorway that resided at the top of the staircase Connor caught a glimpse of something moving quickly at the bottom of the staircase and he froze.

"See something?" Tina asked as she joined Connor in the hallway.

"...Something moved, but I don't know what."

"Yeah, I always saw something from the corner of my eyes, too." Pushing open the door that Connor was standing in front of Tina sighed and glanced about the master bedroom sadly. "This was my parent's room. They had their own private bathroom while me and my sister had to share the one downstairs."

"What of your sister's room?"

"Right here." Walking over to a neighboring room Tina opened the door and looked inside with her flashlight. "She used to have a little plastic table in the middle of her room and had a pretend tea-party every day. I hated it whenever she'd try to drag me in to play with her."

"Why's that?"

"I wanted to play football with the boys down the street. My mom insisted I play with my sister all the time, but only when my sister wanted to do 'lady things' like her tea-parties, or dress-up or anything else that didn't involve sports and getting dirty."

"That doesn't seem fair."

"Nope, but whatever. The past is in the past." Walking away from the bedroom Tina began to slowly and carefully walk down the staircase, hearing and feeling every aged step creaking and bowing under her weight. As she walked she heard the staircase creaking right behind her and she turned to look up at Connor who was watching her walk. "...Can you hear that, too?"

"Yes." He nodded and ran a scan over the staircase. His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed something odd. "...There is an unusual shift in temperature right behind you. It's twenty-two degrees cooler in one spot, which doesn't seem to have a source."

"See what I mean? I used to feel cold drafts-" The stairs creaked again despite Tina remaining in place, and she turned to look at the creaking steps before her. "...Connor?"

"...The cold spot is moving in tandem with the steps." Fascinated and not frightened Connor joined Tina on the staircase and followed the cold mass as far as he could before it dissipated into the air just inside the kitchen. "...That was... unusual."

"I'm SO glad I brought you and not Gavin!" Grabbing onto Connor's arm Tina pulled the deviant androids down the stairs with her and over to the front door so they could leave. "It's time to go."

"You're frightened."

"No, I feel like I'm being told it's time to go and never come back. Not in a threatening way, but in a closing way."

"Then we should leave." Opening the front door with a controlled 'yank' on the handle Connor easily dislodged the barricading wooden boards on the outside of the door, and pushed the old door wide open with a loud 'squeak'. "It's only six-fourteen in the evening. We should return to the city and try to do something else for Halloween before the night's over."

"Yeah, sure."

"Are you okay?" Watching Tina's body language very closely Connor noted her elevated vital signs and stress. "You're upset for sure this time."

"...I just didn't think I'd feel so emotional over a building, you know?"

"It's not the building in itself, it's the memories you created inside the building." Connor empathized quickly. "Memories that are both good and bad. I have the same feeling toward New Jericho Tower."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right." Turning around she gave the house one last somber look over her shoulder and sighed. "Goodbye house. I'm sorry you have to be torn down."

Connor followed after Tina and turned to look over his shoulder at the house, only to feel a frightful chill surround him. Ignoring the cold Connor rejoined Tina in her car and sat down in the passenger seat beside her. "Hank said humans often partake of horror move marathons with friends and family on Halloween, but he is very selective of the films he lets me watch since I have chronic nightmares."

"Are you asking if I'll let you hang out with me and watch scary movies tonight?"

"...I believe I am."

"Well, since you came all the way out here with me and listened to my sad story I think I can put up with some cheesy horror movies with you for a few hours."

"Thank you, Tina. I have been curious about a film known as 'Poltergeist', have you heard of it?"

"Kind of. It's way before my time, but I'm willing to give it a look."

As the car pulled away from the property Connor glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw the pale face of a little girl staring at him with blue eyes from Tina's old bedroom window on the top floor. Turning his head quickly Connor stared at the window directly, only to see that the window was no empty. Slowly Connor turned back in his seat and hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

"You saw her." Tina asked in a low voice as she noticed Connor's unusual reaction. "Didn't you?"

"...I saw saw _someone_." Swallowing once nervously Connor took in a deep, calming breath. "...Tomorrow I think we should report the property to the correct authorities and search the well for human remains."

"Why's that?"

"If what you told me is true about the spirits of the dead roaming the world in search of peace then maybe if we locate the remains of victims from the past and give them proper burials they'll find that peace."

"You know what?" Tina smiled a little as she looked over at Connor and nodded her head. "You're right. Let's help those poor souls find their peace."

Connor nodded in return and refrained from looking at the mirrors as Tina drove back to the city.

"By the way, I mean what I said earlier."

"To what are you referring?"

"That you and all the other androids have souls. Someone as compassionate, caring and empathetic as you_ must_ have a soul! It's the only thing that makes sense."

Smirking a little Connor chanced a glance at the rearview mirror and saw no one looking back at him this time. "Hank said I have a trusting soul, maybe he's correct."

"See? You're a good soul who's doing good deeds. Thanks for being here with me."

"You're welcome, Tina. I'm glad I could be of support."

_**-End of Story-**_


End file.
